Democratic Lawmakers On Board With Evers’ Plan For Surplus

Democratic lawmakers on the Legislature’s budget-writing committee say they are on board with Gov. Tony Evers’ proposal for an unexpected $753 million surplus.

News of the surplus came Wednesday. It’s largely attributed to a one-time influx of money due to federal tax law changes. Evers wants to use $33 million of it for technical colleges and workforce development, $56 million to pay down debt and then save the rest.

Democrats on the committee said Thursday they support his plan.

But Republican legislative leaders have said they want to use the money to support tax cuts. And Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said he supports tapping it to pay for capital building projects and roads.